The New Elder

"The enchantments are in place, Elder Ruthivan."

Ruthivan released Claire's arm and nodded to the wizard, who promptly left.  He looked back at his mate and smiled.  "Welcome home, Claire."

He walked from the room, leaving Claire behind,  and went into the large grand foyer.  While the tent looked small from the outside, looked simply like any other tent, inside it was a palace.  His palace.  After all the years of groveling to the Elder Eladrim and his wife, years spent silent in his observations of their rule, years waiting for Claire to be his as he was promised - he was now the one in charge.  He stopped at the looking  glass and dusted off his jacket and ran fingers through his hair.  He turned and walked out into the tribe.

"My brothers and sisters," he began when they all had reassembled.  "We are at the dawning of a new beginning for this tribe.  Your previous leader, my previous leader, was weak.  A fact well known to every one of us, evidenced by how he allowed his own daugther to run about, shirking her duties to her people.  A fact evidenced when he banished me after everything I had done for his family because I dared to tame the wildness that he allowed to flower in his child.  He is gone, and now I am here to lead us.  As was foretold  in the annals of our histories, one will come forth of noble heritage and pure lineage who will lead us back to our rightful home.  Our duty is to populate our people once more, for if we make a population of great might, the spirit of the  one to lead us will undoubtedly have a home when the time comes.  Your Kra'ineba will serve as an example of a dutiful mother, our bond will be the guide for how to live your lives.  I have proudly brought four children to bear with my beloved mate, and a fifth on the way.  Together, and with the strength of our tribe, they will be raised to be noble, admirable, and pure.  Each of you will be expected to do your part, your duty.  We will champion the new beginnings of the Esper race. We will grow our people to be proud and mighty. We will destroy any who oppose us, abuse us, and use us.  We will return home."

He smiled at the applause, which started slow,  then grew as the others joined in.  He turned to his old friend, Velek, who stood clapping in the group.  "Velek, come here please."
"Elder," Velek addressed as he inclined his head.
"Your son, Fendash, I wish him to tend to my wife."
"It would be an honor for my family to serve."
"Good.  Send him tomorrow morning."
"As you wish, Elder."

Ruthivan turned his back on the tribe and entered his tent.  His children stood looking at him, humbled and quiet, wary and afraid.  "Children," he said, kneeling and holding out his arms.  They reluctantly shuffled forward.  "I know what you saw, and I know it looked terrible, but it was necessary.  Look, look where you live now.  And look at all the people out there, your people." "But you killed Grandfather," Celiara whispered. "I know, my love, but your Grandfather was not a good man.  He was not a strong man.  Not like me. I won't let anything happen to you.  I will take care of you and protect you with my life."

His children entered his embrace and Ruthivan felt them relax.  Everything was changing, everything was turning out right.

Seeking Seranfrit

Ruthivan entered the forest, his eyes narrowed as he scanned the tree line.  Somewhere Claire's mother had escaped, though it was unlikely she went far. He had killed Claire's father in a fit of rage when the elder had threatened to free Claire and take his children.  No one would take what was his.

He went back into beast form and sniffed at the air. The change was instant, as was the scents.  He could follow the trail of scent left behind as though it were a neon sign.  And in short order, he caught up with Seranfrit.

"Please," she begged, backing up against one of the trees.  "Don't kill me.  Please." 
"Seranfrit," Ruthivan crooned, effortlessly turning himself into his esper form.  "Why would I do that?" She let out a sob and shook her head.  "You killed my husband!" 
"You hated him anyway.  I did you a courtesy.  And now you will do one for me."
"What are you talking about..." 
"You will go back to the tribe and let them know that they have a new leader." Seranfrit's eyes grew wide.  "You can't be serious." 
"Oh, but I am.  Eladrim was a failure, he couldn't get our people to populate, the numbers of those in the tribe are the same as they always were.  What good will it do our people if we aren't prepared?"

Seranfrit inched away, but Ruthivan slammed a hand on the tree trunk beside her, blocking her way.   "You don't want to challenge me, do you?" She merely shook her head.  "Good.  Claire and I  will provide the perfect example of what needs to  happen - what good, solid esper pair bonding can do to help a people rebound from the brink of extinction. No Vectorians will cross us once we have built up our numbers.  We will crush them, and all that  oppose us."
"You're mad..."
"No.  I'm a leader, your leader.  Go and get the  main tent ready for our arrival.  You may move into ours.  And Seranfrit... if you cross me, I will give you the same courtesy I gave your pathetic husband."

Ruthivan watched Seranfrit scramble as she rushed through the forest.  He turned and walked back to the tent house and froze when he met eyes with Celiara and the other children.  He smiled, and they fled back into the house.  His breath caught in his throat and a scowl came to his face.  Claire.  She made him do this.  She made him kill her father and as a result, she made his children fear him.  'No matter,' he thought.  'Time will heal that wound, and when they see what an esper leader should be, they will understand why that needed to happen.  All would be as it should be.'  Ruthivan entered the house.

Dinner

His eyes bulged and he could feel the rage that coursed through him electrify and ignite.  Only the calm he forced on himself kept him from turning into the beast and ripping the table asunder.  He glared at Claire, then felt the icy blue eyes of Eladrim on his face.  "Is this true?" Eladrim asked.
"Now, dear, you don't mean all of that, do you?" Seranfrit coddled, patting Claire's hand.
"I mean it all," Claire answered, finally looking at him.  He wanted to kill her.
"Children," Ruthivan said, measuring his patience.
"Take your food to your rooms."
"But father," Celiara whined and was silenced by the glare from under his brows. 
"Go.  Now."

Ruthivan gripped the sides of the table and forced himself to look at Eladrim.  "I had to knock a bout of sense into her, that is all."
"And I'm your prisoner in this house," Claire added.
"You are being kept safe," he said.
"I want out.  I want out now."
"Ruthivan, you knew my rule.  If Claire was not in agreement with this arrangement, you would have to set her free."

He couldn't contain it, and he felt the change ripple over him.  He was the beast, he was beyond any soothing or consoling.  He let out a roar in Eladrim's face, his clawed fists clenched.  "I will not let you take my family from me.  They are mine!"

Eladrim stood calmly, closing his eyes and bowing his head.  Suddenly, he exhaled, frost flowing from his mouth and over Ruthivan, freezing him in place.  Ruthivan could see out of his prison, he could hear the conversation, but he could not move or fight against the superior magic that held him fast.

Trussing Claire 1/2

Ruthivan walked into Celiara's room where all his children had gathered.  Three faces looked back at him with an expression of worry.  Celiara held Saren and Desmaren at her sides and Ruthivan gave a smile.  These were his perfect gems, full blood Espers.  He knelt down in front of them and put a hand on Celiara's knee. "I'm sorry you had to see that, children."
"Who were they, father?" Saren asked.
"Humans.  They were here to cause trouble.  You should always stay away from them."
"But Leanders hoomen," Desmaren said.
"Yes, and she caused trouble."
"But 'Skari loves, um, loves Leanders."
"Unfortunately.  But they're gone now, so it's just the three of you until the new baby comes."
"Why is mother sad?" Saren asked quietly.
"Your mother is just... she's not sad."
"You maded her happy?" Desmaren smiled.
"I... will.  I'll go do that right away."

Ruthivan stood up and left the children with a  quick, "I love you."  He walked into the bedroom to find Claire laying on the bed, sobbing. He set  his jaw.  "Claire, get up," he said, holding his  voice in check. "You're making the children upset." 
"How could you?" she sobbed as she sat up.

He walked to her side and snatched her to her feet, glaring into her face.  He was tired of her self loathing and pity, tired of her never looking at him with any semblance of love, tired of her body with a complete lack of flames - no joy, tired of her moping about.  She looked at him now with a glare of contempt, and he drew back and slapped  her across the face.

Current Character Description - Celiara Wolldon

Looking about six, perhaps  seven, Celiara is a good  esper child. Her features are slight, a small mouth pulled into a frown most of the time, her eyes - dark purple so as to almost appear black - are aswirl with curiosity and some deep seated sadness that should not be in the eyes of a child her age.  Her hair hangs to her shoulders, black and straight, and her skin swirls like a stormy night, a mix of purple and red, appearing maroonish-black.  She is quiet with a pensive silence, she is reluctant with a halting hesitation, as if she is not quite sure she is supposed to be here at all...

Uterus B-GONE!

Claire was tired and it showed. Her flames had not flared to life in a long time now, not that anyone cared or noticed.  She kept holed in the tent with her children; Celiara, who  was now quite rambunctious  and the apple of her father's eye; Saren, a tiny ball of temper; and  Desmaren, a quiet  child who seemed to only wish no one would see him at all.

It surprised  her to see Askari when he showed up, and further shocked  her to see Leandra  with him, and still drove her into confusion to see their boy Heiyu.  They  needed  a place  to  live.  Claire's stomach turned.  Ruthivan would not be pleased.

Though she had  chosen to stay with him of her own will, Claire never felt  free.  Ruthivan dictated so much of her life - from what robes she chose to wear, what  time she could take a walk, what foods she ought to feed  the children.  She  didn't even know how Matinus was doing, she wasn't permitted to visit. The last time Mirin had contacted her, Claire found Ruthivan  glaring at her, having intercepted every word.  Reluctantly, she  had closed communications.  She couldn't go far enough to escape any detection. Ruthivan kept his eye on her constantly.

The only thing Claire had managed successfully was to get rid  of her womb.  Ruthivan had gone to her father, Eladrim, to  once again  plead  their case for acceptance back into the group. It was her one chance, and  she took it.  Ruthivan could not figure out why she was no longer getting pregnant, and knowing that he  would "look," Claire had even put a mock uterus in place.  No matter what he wanted, she would not continue to be an esper factory.

Claire let Askari and Leandra set up a tent behind her own  and set herself  to deal  with Ruthivan's  ire.  Not only  was she not  getting pregnant, but now they would have their son living with his non-esper wife and "half-breed" child.  Ruthivan walked into the room and Claire cleared her throat.

Mock Turtle

The lilac flames that surrounded Claire's body did not burn as intensely anymore. She was relatively silent, withdrawn, just a shell. She had not talked to Ruthivan in months, and he could not reach her inside the cottage. She tried to talk to her children, but Mirin seemed overly concerned to the point of avoidance, while Askari seemed so angry with her he couldn't stand her presence. The others were still too young to understand, but already Claire could see Celiara having the same pain that her brother carried, and handling it in the same way she was herself - silence and withdraw.

Claire tried to be happy, but the emptiness was back within her. She went through her days caring for Matinus and Celiara while Gilean went to the temple, and the other children went out. She did miss going out. She stared longingly at the garden beyond the back door, her hand on the glass, until one of the children cried or needed her. This was the only way she could manage to keep herself from being taken, the only way to make everyone... she didn't know. She turned away, wiping a tear from her eye, tears she never let anyone in the cottage see.

That night, Claire was visited by Sanria and a very distraught Colin. The trees had brought them to her because Askari had vanished with their daughter. She called him to the house and in typical fashion, he avoided speaking outright. Finally, in fear of Colin, he admitted to knowing where Leandra was. The boy brought her back, and Claire tried to give him a hug of gratitude, which was promptly shrugged off. She had never felt so defeated.

When she went to Askari's room later, she finally told the boy of his conception - how she was forced into marriage and bearing him - she had hoped that it might spark some camaraderie between them. It had backfired, and Claire left the room with an even larger hole in her chest. Something would have to give. She lay in her bed, Gilean sleeping beside her, and cried in silence until sleep overtook her.